India are the sole host of the 50-over World Cup for the first time. Here is all you need to know about the World Cup 2023 opening ceremony – including whether there will be an opening ceremony this time at all.
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India co-hosted the World Cup with Pakistan in 1987, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 1996, and with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2011.
Less than 48 hours are left for the first ball of World Cup 2023 to roll on. Defending champions England and defeated finalists New Zealand will lock horns against each other to flag off the tournament on October 5.
The 2023 World Cup will feature ten teams in a 45-match round-robin league, followed by the two semi-finals and the final, which will be played on November 19. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host both the opening and closing fixtures.
As the teams will finish playing their two warm-up matches on October 3, the focus now shifts to the customary opening ceremony.
World Cup 2023: When is the opening ceremony usually held?
The opening ceremonies of World Cups have witnessed eventful performances by renowned artists over the years. Captains from the participating nations usually take centre stage when the teams are called individually.
These are held a day or two before the first match. In 2019, former cricketers, dignitaries, celebrities and singers graced the event. Andrew Flintoff hosted the ceremony, along with Indian actor-presenter Shibani Dandekar and English TV presenter Paddy McGuinness.
World Cup 2023: Will there be an opening ceremony this time?
Ahmedabad was scheduled to host the World Cup 2023 opening ceremony on October 4, starting with ‘Captain’s Day’. At 7 pm local time, Bollywood stars including Ranveer Singh, singers Asha Bhosle, Shreya Ghoshal, and Arijit Singh, will be among the performers. A celebration of Indian culture, followed by a laser show and fireworks, are part of the extravaganza as well.
However, there have been reports of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cancelling the grand opening ceremony. Notably, there will be a ceremony before the start of the India-Pakistan game on October 14. However, an official announcement is yet to come.
